Kerala PUCL:Police crack down at a anti-Coke agitation
State PUCL General Secretary Vilayody Venugopal and 100 Others Arrested

The Chittoor police arrested over 100 agitators and took vehicle into
custody when a peace full public meeting was going on near the Hindustan
Coca-Cola factory at Plachimala in Chittoor Taluk in Palakadu district(Kerala)
on 9/6/2001 evening. The public meeting was organised by the state PUCL
with the help of National Alliance of Peoples Movement in solidarity with
the ongoing agitation against the Cola factory by tribals and local people
under the leader ship of Mr. B Vilayody Venugopal, State General Secretary
PUCL Kerala. Since April 22 an agitation was going on against the factory
alleging that the area is facing acute water shortage due to the draining
under ground water of the area through bore wells and pollution from the
factory waste.

Late report:
Six Adivasis Hospitalised: Residents of Plachimala colony near Coca-Cola
factory were hospitalised due to police brutality and torturing. Those
include Ambika (27), Lakshmi (18), Veni (24), Jayalakshmi (23), Vasanthy
(29), Lakshmikuttyamma (27) were seriously injured. PUCL sought enquiry
into the matter by the SHRC and NHRC on the incident. -- JACOB V. LAZER